The christened Boramy – meaning “full moon” in Khmer – because of its bulbous shape, the four-meter-long female was left behind in the river after being electronically labeled to allow scientists to track its movement and behavior. “This is very exciting news because it was the biggest fish in the world,” said biologist Zeb Hogan, a former Monster Fish presenter on the National Geographic Channel and now part of a river conservation program. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register The largest freshwater fish in the world, a giant tick, weighing 661 pounds (300 kilograms) is pictured with international scientists, Cambodian fisheries officials and villagers on Koh Preah Island in the Mekong River south of Stung Treng Province, Kambodi 14 2022. Picture. was taken by drone on June 14, 2022. Chhut Chheana / Wonder of Mekong / Handout via REUTERS read more “It’s also exciting news because it means that this part of the Mekong is still healthy … It’s a sign of hope that these huge fish are still alive (here).” The Boramy, set last week off the coast of Koh Preah, an island along the northern Cambodian River, broke the record for a 293-pound giant catfish caught upstream in northern Thailand in 2005. The Mekong has the third most diverse fish population in the world, according to the River Commission, although overfishing, pollution, seawater infiltration and depletion of sediments have caused stocks to plummet. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Kwang Jiraporn Kuhakan. Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and John Stonestreet Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
